Approaches to teaching the works of David Foster Wallace /

"David Foster Wallace's works engaged with his literary moment--roughly summarized as postmodernism--and with the author's historical context. From the famous complexity of novels such as Infinite Jest to the direct critique of American culture in his essays, his works have at their c...

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Bibliographic Details
Other Authors: Burn, Stephen (Editor), Holland, Mary, 1970- (Editor)
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: New York : The Modern Language Association of America, 2019.
Series:Approaches to teaching world literature ; 156.
Subjects:
Description
Summary:"David Foster Wallace's works engaged with his literary moment--roughly summarized as postmodernism--and with the author's historical context. From the famous complexity of novels such as Infinite Jest to the direct critique of American culture in his essays, his works have at their core essential human concerns such as self-understanding, connecting with others, ethical behavior, and finding meaning. The essays in this volume suggest ways to elucidate Wallace's philosophical and literary preoccupations for today's students, who continue to contend with urgent issues, both personal and political, through reading literature. Part 1, "Materials," offers guidance on editions of Wallace's works and critical responses to them. The essays in part 2, "Approaches," discuss teaching key works and genres in high school settings, first-year undergraduate writing classes, American literature surveys, seminars on Wallace, and world literature courses. They examine Wallace's social and philosophical contexts and contributions, treating topics such as gender, literary ethics, and the culture of writing programs." -- Publisher's description
Physical Description:viii, 205 pages ; 24 cm.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN:9781603294645
9781603293914
1603293914
1603294643